Machine for gathering cotton.



J. P. OSHAUGHNBSSY.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING COTTON.

APPLIOATIONI'ILED AUG.9, 1913.

Patented July 14, 1914.

ORRIS PL'7ER5 co., WASHINGTON, 0. cv

UNTTEB STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' JAMES F. OSHAUGHNESSY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN'OR, BY MESN-E ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 COTTON GATHERING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N, Y A CORPOBA 'I'ION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING COTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14., 1914.

Substitute for application Serial No. 422,771, filed March. 23, 1908.. This. application filed; August 9, 1913, Serial No. 783,948;

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES F. OSHAUGH- nnssr, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in vlachines for Gathering Cotton, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for gathering cotton.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in constructie-n and etfic-ient in operation for use in facilitating the gathering of cotton.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the character referred to wherein wags or other receptacles are drawn through the cottonfield and between the rows of cotton stalks, for receiving the cotton as picked by the laborers, thereby relieving the laborer of the toil and labor of carrying bags or other receptacles to receive the cotton.

Other objects of the invention will ap pear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, location and relative arrangement of parts all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and to the various views and reference signs appearing thereon Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an apparatus embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one form of bag or receptacle for use in connection with my invention. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a broken view showing a modified are rangement of bag or receptacle.

The same part is designated by the same reference sign wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

In carrying out the principles of my invention I propose to provide means for relieving the laborer of the toil, fatigue and physical strain incident to the ordinary method of hand picking of cotton where the laborer is equipped with a bag suspended by a strap looped over shoulder and into which the cotton as picked is deposited from the hands of the laborer. As the laborer proceeds with his work the accumulating weight of the cotton in the bag increases.

the physical wear and fatigue of the work, making it exceedingly laborious and materially decreasing the daily capacity of the laborer. In order to. overcome this. disadvantage and to relieve the laborer of the necessity for carrying. the weight of the cotton which hasv been gathered, and to afford him freedom in the use of his. handstrough shaped vessel having a pointed front end 11, and aclosed rear end 12, and which can be made of canvas, bagging or other suitable material. This bag or receptacle is adapted to be drawn along the ground, and between adjacentrows of cotton stalks in i any suitable or convenient manner, and, in

order to relieve the bag or receptacle of wear while being dragged along the ground,

I provide the same with a bottom plate 13 of metal or other suitable material, forming a wearing shoe or sheathing. At its front end the wearing shoe or sheathing 13, is upturned, somewhat, and pointed, as indicated at 141, to enable the bag to be drawn readily over obstruct-ions in its path. The bag or receptacle may have its sides held distended so as to present a wide opening thereby enabling the picked cotton to be readily thrown or deposited into the same. This result may be accomplished in many diiferent ways. In one arrangement the bottom plate or sheathing may be provided with upwardly extending arms 15, at the edges thereof to which the upper edges of the bag may be secured, as indicated at 16. Another arrangement is shown in Fig. 6 wherein bails 17 are employed and which may be readily inserted in place transversely of the bag to hold the upper edges thereof distended, and, when desired, removed to enable the bag to be collapsed or folded, for convenience in shipping or transportation.

Of course it is evident that the bags or receptacles can be made of any desired dimensions depending on the amount of weight of picked cotton which it may be desired to deposit therein, or depending upon the conditions of the cotton crop.

In practice the bags or receptacles are to be drawn through the cotton field and be tween adjacent rows of cotton stalks and one ormore laborers will pick or gather the cotton by hand and throw or deposit the same into the bag or receptacle as it is drawn along; the laborers being entirely free in their movements and walking along side of the moving bag, are enabled to accomplish their work without the physical wear and strain of carrying bags, and without being hampered in their work thereby. By being relieved of the arduous toil of carrying their bags with the increasing weight of cotton deposited therein, each laborer is enabled to accomplish more work and to pick a greater amount of cotton within a given time and with the expenditure of less effort, and with less fatigue than is possible under the ordinary customs as heretofore employed.

The bags or receptacles may be drawn or advanced along and between the rows of cotton stalks in any suitable manner and by any convenient arrangement of draft appliances. I have shown a simplearrangement wherein I employ a vehicle 18, adapted to be drawn or driven through the field,

and to the rear end of which the bags or receptacles are connected by the ropes, chains or other devices indicated at 19. The vehicle may be operated in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by means of a mo tor 20. It is to be understood, however, that. my invention is not to be limited or restricted to a motor driven vehicle or to any vehicle as the bags may be drawn along over the ground in any other way without departing from my invention. If desired a plurality of bags may be drawn along to gether, as shown, each bag operating between two adjacent rows of cotton stalks, and, if desired, each bag or receptacle may I, be employed to receive the product of a single laborers work, thereby enabling a record to be kept by weight or otherwise of the work of each laborer.

When a bag 0r receptacle has become filled it may be readily detached from the draft devices andan empty bag or receptacle substituted therefor, while the contents of the removed or filled bag are transferred to a collecting wagon ior vehicle. Ordinarily the filled bags are detached and empty ones substituted at'the ends of the rows, or at any other convenient point, where a collection may be efiected.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and means for carrying the same into practical operation, and having described such means and the construction, function and mode of operation of the same what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device for use in gathering cotton, comprising a bottom or wearingplate adapted to be dragged along the ground, said plate having integral arms extending upwardly from the edges thereof, and a trough-shaped receptacle fitted to said plate and having its v upper edges secured to said arms. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I my hand'in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, on this 28th day of July,.A; D.,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'atents,

' Washington, .D. G. 

